Despite nearly nonstop fishing pressure, Lake Guntersville remains one of the nation’s top bass fisheries for one reason — this lake’s got ‘em.
Granted, a disjointed transitional period has left this Tennessee River impoundment short on consistency; but every angler fishing Semi-Final Saturday knows that any flip, pitch, cast or drop could tempt a game changer.
Case in point: Caleb Kuphall, who’s led this derby since Day 1 saw his comfortable lead cut to about 9 ounces when Chis Johnston got off to a quick start. Kuphall got his wheels turning shortly thereafter and pulled away with four fish for an estimated 10-10 by about 7:20. (According to Bass Trakk’s unofficial standings.)
Kuphall was stuck on a quartet for nearly two hours, but after heading to his secondary spot around 9, he experienced one of those magical flurries exemplifying the soul-stirring slogan: Big Bass, Big Stage, Big Dreams.
Boom — 6-pounder!
Boom — 4-4!
Boom — 4-pounder!
“I knew the big fish were in here,” the Wisconsin pro said of his matted milfoil bed.
In a stretch of 15 minutes, Kuphall went from being light one keeper to dominating the field with an estimated limit of 20-4. Adding a couple of culls, pushed him up to 21-14 by 11 with nearly a 12 1/2-pound lead over Wes Logan.
Bottom line: It can happen quick on Guntersville.
To that point, Logan shared a big-fish tale of his own at the Day-2 weigh ins. Coming of his Elite Win at Neely Henry, the Springville, Alabama pro anchored his 20-pound, 12-ounce bag with a 6-pounder — a fish that was hardly new to him.
“I actually saw that fish Monday morning, the first day of practice around 9 o’clock and it was on a bed with two 4-pounders,” Logan said. “I went back and checked in Wednesday afternoon and I stayed away from it. I threw a wacky worm without a hook and (got bit).
“I went back yesterday and threw (several times) but didn’t see anything. I trolled over the bed and it was empty.”
Disappointed, but not defeated, Logan returned again on Day 2 and noticed a large shadow near a bream bed not far from the bass bed he had targeted.
“I was going to throw on the bream bed, but I said ‘I’m going to throw on that (bass) bed one more time,” Logan said. “Before I threw, I saw a big fish 20 feet from the bed. I threw over there, my worm hit the water and that fish flew over there and got it.
“It was obvious it was her. She may have just stuck around for the bream bed.”
Pretty cool, huh? Well Logan’s Day 2 delivered a second dose of serendipity when a 5-pounder showed itself in a most aggressive manner.
Logan explained: “I was literally reeling my bait up and I saw that fish come out from under the cover, so I dropped my bait and the fish went over there and ate it off the bottom.”